Between the Lies by Draven St. James

Professor Graham Darrius leads a double life, every day he enriches the lives of students, but at night he struts the stage as Ebony Powers at Club Syn. The two personas cannot mix, which is an easy rule to follow until a sexy man from Iowa stumbles through the door.

Spencer Neil, has never stepped foot into a gay bar and holy shit did he get more than he’s ever imagined. What did he know about drag queens, go-go boys and heated exchanges in dark corners? The world he lives in is academic and predictable. At least until he meets Graham, and sees that sometimes all is not what it seems.

Beneath the shock of discovery, misunderstandings, and wicked instruction Graham finds himself falling for Spencer and Spencer finds he’s getting a whole different kind of education.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 Stars.
As a huge fan of Draven St. James' Fire House Six series, I was crossing my fingers that the Club Syn series would begin with a bang. Between the Lies didn't disappoint.

Whew *fans self* what a beginning!

Spencer, graduate student from Iowa, broadens his horizons by visiting a gay club featuring a drag show the night before his first day at his new college. He's out of his element but equally intrigued. Ebony sashays over to play the hero when Spencer gets more than he bargained for.

Dr. Graham is Ebony by night and a strict professor by day. Unable to stop thinking about Iowa, Graham is in for a big surprise when he spots Spencer as one of his new students.

A page-turning novella that packs a punch – Between the Lies was fast-paced, addictive as a drug, and hotter than Hades. Graham and Spencer's story opens up future books, which I'm jonesing to get my hands on immediately.

Recommended to fans of MM Romance with an erotic kick, especially for those who don't have time to read long novels but want a complete story. Draven St. James' writing reminds me of binge-watching a few episodes of your favorite show. You're addicted and satisfied, enjoying the story when you have a few stolen hours, but leaves you wanting more.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Iowa farm boy Spencer's first trip to a gay club has him meeting drag queen, Ebony, and an incredibly hot encounter follows. Shortly after, Spencer starts college only to find that his professor, Graham Darrius, is said drag queen. Spencer is attracted to both sides of Graham and so was I. They make a very sexy couple.

I'm not big on the student/teacher romance, but I think it worked so well for me in this case because of Spencer's less than stellar behaviour when things don't go his way.

I loved Spencer and Graham's romance and I didn't want it to end. I would have liked a longer story, but it still worked well in the shorter format. I'm not sure if the next book in this series will be a new couple or more of Spencer and Graham, but either way I'll definitely be reading it.


Rachael – ☆☆☆☆☆
This was such a good book!! This is the first Draven St. James book I've read and I can honestly say it won't be the last! There was such an interesting storyline, not to mention the wonderful character development between the two men trying to feel their way through an incredibly awkward situation.

I loved the drag queen part of the story and that even though Graham might like to become Ebony, he wasn't submissive or only a bottom. He had such a big, strong personality when he was at his day job as well.

A very good story that I really enjoyed.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I like the juxtapositions used in this story. Drag queen v. newly out; student v. professor; upright v. uptight; blackmail v. unreasonable ... and that is just the obvious ones!

For quite a short story we get a good understanding of the setup of the club, and look forward to knowing more in future instalments of Luca and Silver. I'm keen to find out how Graham and Spencer navigate the path they have chosen to travel. It was definitely hot reading about how they overcame a whole host of issues.

Looking forward to the next in the series, that is for sure!

I’m a born and raised Oregonian. I’ve traveled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill my books. My ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories both sexy and humorous. It gives me a great excuse to do some crazy stuff in the name of research. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where I find my peace.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Between the Lies (Club Syn #1) by Draven St. James to read and review.